The Story⚡
Ukonwa Ojo, former CMO of Amazon Studios/Prime Video now has a stake in Nigeria-based Taeps Animation Studios.
Tell Me More
Taeps Animation Studios is a media and entertainment company dedicated to unearthing magnificent African Stories. Taeps is well known for the film short Ewa with over 110,000 views on YouTube. Ewa was nominated for Best Animation Short Film at the African Film Festival (AFRIFF) 2023.
After working for Prime Video for two years, Ojo resigned from her position as chief marketing officer of Prime Video and Amazon Studios in 2022. With the goal of “building and scaling businesses that serve underrepresented and marginalised communities,” she established Zaia Ventures in 2022.
“I am thrilled to join forces with Taeps Animation Studios to amplify African voices and narratives in the world of animation,” said Ukonwa Ojo, founder and CEO of Zaia Ventures. “Their commitment to authenticity and excellence in storytelling aligns perfectly with our vision at Zaia Ventures. Together, we will showcase African culture’s beauty, complexity and diversity to a global audience.”
Adeoyin Okuboyejo, CEO of Taeps Animation Studios said “This collaboration with Zaia Ventures is evidence of our shared vision of celebrating African heritage through animation. With Ukonwa Ojo’s wealth of experience from Amazon, Mac, Unilever and Zaiah, we are embarking on our most ambitious project yet: ‘Adétóún and the Heart of Time.’ Together, we will not only entertain but also inspire and educate audiences on the uniqueness of African storytelling.”
Tangent
There is an increased interest in Nigerian animated talent as well as growth milestones that show the future of animation storytelling is on the rise.
Nigeria’s first animation feature-length film was Lady Buckit and the Motley Mopsters produced by Blessing Amidu in December 2020 with a budget of over $40,000. This feature film which gained industry traction as an animation entry is currently on Netflix. The film stars Bimbo Akintola, Patrick Doyle, Bola Edwards and Kalu Ikeagwu in the lead roles.
Iyanu: Child of Wonder, inspired by Nigerian Yoruba myth and culture has been greenlit for 2 seasons by HBO MAX and Cartoon Network.
The superhero series was written by Roye Okupe in collaboration with Lion Forge Entertainment in 2022.
Iyanu is produced by Dark Horse and YouNeek Studios with a cast including Adesuwa Etomi, Shaffy Bello, Blossom Chukwujekwu, Stella Damasus, Okey Jude, and Serah Johnson.
Omoberry YouTube channel is a growing platform for kiddies’ African animation films with 356,000 subscribers. It is often referred to as our Nigerian Cocomelon with beautiful kiddies content that covers topics related to STEM learning, cross-cultural experiences, prosocial skill development, character development and self-esteem building. Omoberry channel in 2024 has gained global traction with over 170M views.
In Summary
Ukonwa’s investment in Taeps Studios signals another milestone for the nascent animation industry in Nigeria and the next 5 years for the company will be one to watch.
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